Our picks of this week's events

ART

Whose reality?

The virtual world of Second Life grows bigger every hour. Everyone—from corporate America to underground artists—is using the online world in ways never before imagined. Photographer and painter Michael L. Perry, for one, started seeing beauty in Second Life that he wanted to share with his friends and family here on planet Earth. Perry’s avatar, Snaper Strong, became a photographer in Second Life and captured scenes for his upcoming show, Earth Intruders, opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at The Pet Palace, 3827 Ray St. in North Park. “Some may question the photography angle,” Perry says, “but in spirit, it is exactly the same as real life: Compose, focus and shoot.” The images look like they’re freshly out of Photoshop because of the virtual subject matter, but Perry says the only post-production he does to the photos is simple cropping. If you need details, you can e-mail mmlp@earthlink.net. Free.

Yep, it’s good: For artists, having a piece in any juried exhibition is a big deal. It means that someone other than your buddies deems your work worthy of public viewing. The Escondido Arts Partnership has made the jury process even more significant by inviting tastemaker Betti-Sue Hertz, the contemporary-art curator at the San Diego Museum of Art, to select the works in this year’s Local Colors & Your Basic Black exhibition, which opens from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at Escondido’s Municipal Gallery (142 West Grand Ave.). More than two dozen local artists, including E.A. Feliu, Fred Marinello, Nancy Jennings and Chuck McPherson—he’ll be showing two paintings from his hilarious Monkey Man series (which features monkeys caught in human situations)—have made the cut. www.escondidoarts.org or 760-480-4101. Free.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Spicy

Move your mom’s heart and soul this Mother’s Day and take her to the seventh annual Gator by the Bay Festival from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11, at Spanish Landing Park on North Harbor Drive (just across the street from the airport). The event, featuring seven of Louisiana’s best Cajun and Zydeco bands, plus 25 local bands, will give the woman who spawned you the opportunity to try authentic Creole food, take dancing lessons, watch New Orleans-style parades, participate in cooking demos and more. And the music—everything from blues, jazz, country and swing to traditional Zydeco and Cajun—could possibly erase any memories of you ever being a less-than-perfect kid. $20, free for the 17-and-under crowd. www.gatorbythebay.com or 619-234-8612.

From the street: Let’s be honest—for the longtime local, going to Seaport Village probably isn’t at the top of the list of things to do. But the marketing masters over at the tourist mecca know how to lure even the most jaded, gift-shop weary San Diegans. The annual Spring Busker Festival, happening from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11, features an art form more urban and street-oriented than graffiti. Some of San Diego’s most resourceful street performers, including juggler extraordinaire David Kamatoy, Didgeridoo master Mitchell Walker and professional clowns Derrick Gilday and Megan Fontaine, will provide the type of entertainment that’s been making people stop in their tracks in the middle of sidewalks for years. Seaport Village is located at the intersection of West Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway. www.seaportvillage.com or call 619-235-4014. Free.

MUSIC

Women’s words

In 1998, singer/songwriter Randi Driscoll wrote “What Matters,” a song about the death of Matthew Shepard, the young gay man who was murdered in a hate crime in Laramie, Wyo. The song has since been used in a Spike Lee-directed commercial and an NBC film about the incident and has reportedly helped the Matthew Shepard Foundation raise more than $40,000. Songs like this one will be performed by Driscoll and others, including Anna Troy, Peggy Labo and Barbara Nesbitt, at In Her Own Voice, a special Mother’s Day-inspired performance starting at 8 p.m. Friday, May 9, at Dizzy’s, located at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center at the corner of Second Avenue and J Street, Downtown. Tickets are $20, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting breast-cancer awareness. www.dizzyssandiego.com, 858-270-7467.

BOOKS

Get booked

In spite of Amazon and the mass appeal of ordering books online, Mysterious Galaxy Books has kept its brick-and-mortar business going for 15 years. The Martian-murder-magic-mayhem-and-mythos-based bookstore will celebrate the Mysterious Galaxy 15th Birthday Bash, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 10, with a lineup of readings by recommended authors—including Jeff Mariotte, Susan Hubbard and Charlaine Harris—a book sale, a big birthday cake and more. Mysterious Galaxy is at 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite 302, in Clairemont. 858-268-4747 or mysteriousgalaxy.booksense.com.

DANCE

Hit the road

Being a professional dancer isn’t at all like being a professional musician. Unless you’re part of the Russian ballet, touring isn’t something you do; instead, you’re probably stuck dancing at the same few venues in your own city. The California Touring Project, a joint venture started by dance icons Liam Clancy, Nina Haft and Cid Pearlman, was created with this in mind. The threesome joined forces last year and came up with ways to build touring opportunities for independent dance artists. At 8 p.m. Saturday, May 10, the project presents dancers from San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz, as part of a three-city tour kicking off at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Sherwood Auditorium, 700 Prospect St. in La Jolla. $10-$15. www.sandiegoperforms.com.

NIGHTLIFE

Eureka!

The release party for the newest edition of Unscene—the hip, fold-out “urban guide”—is happening at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at The Pearl Hotel, 1410 Rosecrans St. in Point Loma. This  means one thing: The relatively new restaurant/hotel/bar won’t be unscene or unheard of for very much longer. San Diego’s pocket-size guide to coolness has been telling scenesters where to go and what to do for a few years now, so avoid being the last one in the know and stop by The Pearl. www.myspace.com/unscenesandiego.

Another pearl: Last week, The Pearl gave uptowners another reason to trek to Point Loma. The Groove 24/7 Brunch Party is the newest happening at the mid-century modern spot. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 10, and every Sunday hereafter, you’re invited to enjoy food and “bottomless” mimosas, the saltwater swimming pool, free wi-fi, ping pong, board games and DJs. $20. www.thepearlsd.com or www.groove247.com.

 Got a super cool event coming up? Write tokinseem@sdcitybeat.com